The Case for a CARICOM Broadband Policy Jennifer Britton Deputy - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) The Case for a CARICOM Broadband Policy Jennifer Britton Deputy Programme Manager ICT4D, CARICOM Secretariat

Why Broadband is important to CARICOM  A full-employment economy  A decent standard of living & quality of life for all citizens  Elimination of poverty  Adequate opportunities for young people  Spatially equitable economic growth within the Community

CONTEXT  Regional and International Integration & initiatives  CSM&E  MDG  Information or knowledge or Learning Society  Trends:  Globalisation  Financial Crisis  Brain Drain  Trade Agreements  ( CARIFORUM – EC, EPA )  CARICOM – Canada,  Aid-for-Trade

Context: National strategy development  Countries: CARICOM  E-government,  ICT Education measures,  Tourism  Agriculture  Infrastructure and  Legislation

Context  Plan of Action – WSIS  MDG  Elements of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (CARICOM)  Revised Treaty of Basseterre establishing the OECS Economic Union -- signed on 18 June 2010

Context: ICT Trends  Ubiquity  Convergence (Share resources & Interact)  Flexibility ( De-coupling and re-combining)

Context : Defining The Digital Sector Communications ICT Computer and Information

Context: Cost of Access  The cheapest broadband prices relative to average national monthly income can be found in Monaco, Macau (China), Liechtenstein, United States and Austria.  Customers in 31 countries – industrialized nations – pay only the equivalent of 1 per cent or less of average monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita for an entry-level broadband connection

Regional Strategies which support -  E-Government Strategy  Draft Services Strategy  SME Work Plan  Cultural Industries  Strategies  (Draft) Regional Economic Plan  Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS)

E- Government Seven Strategic Initiatives  1. Organizational Capacity Development  2. eGovernment Framework  3. Program Management  4. Common ICT Procurement  5. Interoperability  6. ICT-enabled Service Delivery Channels  7. eCommerce Environment

Draft Services Strategy  Tourism  Insurance  Health & Human Services  Education  Entertainment & Cultural  Sports

SME Work Plan  Strategic Plan and Coordinating Mechanism on SME ( In Development )

Statistics  Measuring & Benchmarking  Need to quantify the benefits of ICT ( including Broadband)  Work-Plan & Framework ( In development )

(Draft) Regional Economic Plan  Macroeconomic Development Policy Framework  Agriculture  Agro-tourism  Niche Manufacturing  New Export services  Air & Maritime Transport  Financial Services  Human Resources Information System  Institutional Strengthening, Quality and Standards

Why a Digital Development Strategy?  Development of CARICOM Information /Knowledge Society  Key productivity enabler for industry  New smart services and applications  Member State focus on existing action plans (e.g. eGovernment)  Boost Broadband accessibility

Regional Digital Development Strategy  Presented as the “Digital Development Strategy (DDS)” .  Seeks to transform Member States to Digital societies and economies.  Gives a comprehensive overview of the current situation in the Region with respect to:  ICT and benefits to be gained by working to achieve global benchmarks for MDGs and development of the Caribbean Information Society.  Developed to show how ICT can embrace key social and economic develo pment

Regional Digital Development Strategy  Made up of six (6) core Strategies  Build a digital Community culture and ICT workforce that can create with, develop and use ICT to improve lifestyle and otherwise add personal and economic value.  Manage and use ICT to demonstrate good governance and increase efficiency in operations

Strategy 2/3  Fully establish open telecommunications infrastructures and affordable networks to support and deepen ICT infrastructure using converged and empowering technologies.  Establish a culture of innovation and quality to establish and increase competitive of the ICT industry, and to generate income

Strategy 3/3  Use ICT for sustainable growth and support social development objectives .  Use the Regional media network effectively to communicate, create and influence the benefits and opportunities of ICT application.

Objectives of the Regional Digital Development Strategy  Fully establish modern regional regulatory and open telecommunications infrastructures with affordable networks using converged technologies, to provide affordable and ubiquitous access.  Build a digital Community culture and increase the value and volume of the regions trained ICT workforce that can create with, develop and use ICT to improve life style and otherwise add personal and economic value.  Manage and use ICT to demonstrate good governance and increase efficiency in operations.  Establish a culture of innovation and quality, and to enable sustainable production of Regional digital goods and services, the development of cultural industries and the inclusion of local content in delivery of information.  Guide businesses and governments to use ICT for sustainable growth and support social development objectives through partnerships that use networked technologies.

Recommendations of the Strategy  Regional Approach linked to stakeholder interests Stakeholder interests  Development of a Single ICT space  Citizens, consumers and users  Media and content sector  Telecoms sector  Labour market  Financial structures and systems  Regulatory environment

PHASE 1 - PRIORITIES  1. Developing the CARICOM Single Information Space • Business planning • Legislation , policy and regulatory frameworks • Capacity Building • Infrastructure and access • Diaspora re-engagement • Functional Cooperation

PHASE 1 - PRIORITIES  2 . Measuring and Monitoring the Caribbean Information Society • Statistics • Benchmarking • Monitoring and Evaluation  3 . Sectoral Solutions (Regional) - • Health • Education • Agriculture • Security • Information Management

PHASE 1 - PRIORITIES  4. Sustaining the Caribbean Information and Knowledge Society  Financing and Resourcing o Concept Paper  Implementation – o Universal Service Funds o Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)  Sustainability o ICT Sustainability Fund.  5. Governance o National o Regional

Role of Governments  Design policies to ensure robust competition and, as a result maximize consumer welfare , innovation and investment .  Ensure efficient allocation and management of assets government controls or influences,  Reform current universal service mechanisms to support deployment of broadband and voice in high-cost areas; and ensure that low-income citizens can afford broadband;  Support efforts to boost adoption and utilization.  Reform laws, policies, standards and incentives to maximize the benefits of broadband in sectors government influences.

People-Public- Private Partnerships  Access to broadband is only one part of the picture –  developing human capacity is absolutely vital,  All actors – national, international, private and public – must work together to these ends.

Opportunities  Bolster existing programmes (OLPF/ OLPC)  Fast-track implementation of existing plans integrated with ICT  ICT-Supply Side  Information growth  Data as an integrated service  Geo-spatial information  Security  Mobile communications

Opportunities  ICT Demand-side  Broadband enabled applications ( sectors) / Internet business solutions  Education  Health  Agriculture  Improved Partner Networks  Examine National / regional models

CARICOM Needs  Countries interests represented at Int’l level  Statistics  Development of robust and flexible regulatory frameworks  Co-operation Models for multiple regulators

CARICOM Needs  Funding and Technical Assistance  Placed in (Economic) Development Context  Funds – mapped to Real /documented Needs  Must address Access issues as well  Recognise existing structures and institutions

Next Steps  Regional Broadband Policy Meeting (1-2 December)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Contact: jbritton@caricom.org ict4dstaff@caricom.org jenniferbritton@hotmail.com Website: www.caricomict4d.org